Harvest Jug

This is a big harvest jug that I delivered today to the gallery in Bath. It's the biggest one I've made at approx 18.5" and is going to be featured in a book that my chum Nic is writing. It took ages to do.

The inscription on the back is taken from an old North Devon jug and reads:

When I was in my native place
I was a lump of clay
And digged up out of the Earth
And brought from thence away
But now I am a jug became
By potter's art and skill
And I your servant am become
And carry ale I will

I'll get some more images on here of some of the other pots when I can work out how to open the files - it's a mac/pc thing - wish I was a compoooter boffin.

Back in the land of blog

Hello everybody, yes, yes, I've been a bad blogger, sorry. Things have been so busy lately and I've been working long, long hours, making a bunch of new pots for an exhibition in Bath, that I'm delivering tomorrow to the Rostra and Rooksmoor Gallery. The pots include a massive harvest jug that I've been sgrafitto decorating until the wee small hours, night after night. It's come out a treat though, so it's been worth the effort.

My computer's been playing up too(blog writing takes forever) and I've had email troubles - the stupid machine won't let me send replies, so please forgive me if you're waiting to hear from me. I'm not very good with computer stuff, but I've been trying to uninstall some of the many redundant programmes that the boys have put on here and since abandoned now that they have their own laptops. Hopefully it'll work better for me and I can start to catch up with things a bit.

Here are a few snapshots of what's been happening.



Last weekend Hil and I went to the opening of the Somerset Arts Week show at Blogger Paul's that I spoke of in my previous post. It was a really good, well supported event and Paul and Marion were great hosts. The red wine flowed and I felt just a little bit rough the next day that's for sure.

The show continues for another week - great to hear that Johnny Leach has been in to see it.

I forgot to take my camera, but there are some good pictures of the evening right here.



This picture is for Dave and Sue. They're ready whenever you can get here for them - it's cat crazy here at the moment.



We've had amazing weather for the last ten days or so, beautiful sunshine ripening the apples in the orchards and the berries in the hedgerows.



I love shiny conkers when the shells are freshly opened.



It's been a great year for sloes - there were hardly any last year. Not that I care, I don't like 'em!



The orchards smell incredible and are alive with the sound of drunken wasps and flies, feasting on the decaying fruit in the autumn sunshine.



The decoration on the big jug in this picture was inspired by the brambles in the hedgerow. The peculiar spouted vessel is an interpretation of a medieval pot in the York Museum.



These baluster jugs range from approx 20" down to 12".



Here they are slipped.



My friend and photographer Johnny came over during the week to document the pots that I'm taking to the show tomorrow. I've got the images on a disc, but I can't open it - I'll try again tomorrow night.

Lots of orders to make this week, including plates and a sgrafitto harvest jug with a maritime scene derived from the paintings of Alfred Wallace, which will be an interesting challenge.

Well I must pack these pots away in readiness for tomorrow's journey, they're are currently strewn across my living room floor which is also overrun with crazy kittens - dangerous.

Happy Monday everybody.

Blogger Paul Jessop's and Somerset Art Weeks

I'm taking part in an exhibition at Blogger Paul's place as part of Somerset Art Weeks, which opens on Friday. Please come if you can, details below of the Private View.






If you are able to come to the PV, please would you be so kind to let Paul know(his contact details are on the invitation above), so that everybody can be catered for in terms of wine and nibbles, thanks.

Hope to see some of you there on Friday.

Have a good day all, back later with pics of pots and my new floor - wooohoo!!

Friday

What a busy week of potting and digging.

The weather's been amazing - the final throws of summer. We haven't had much sunshine at all this year, so I think I probably enjoy the fine weather all the more when we do get some, just because of the novelty of it.



Certainly the blackberries in the hedgerow need some warm rays to ripen them up. I'm thinking that I may try and make some blackberry wine this year - bet I'll live to regret that.

Dave and I didn't manage to get the floor down - we'll do that next week hopefully, but Dave has done an amazing job of getting it all level and ready for the concrete to be poured.

I'm still in the midst of a frenzy of pot making. Here are a few shots of some of the stuff that's happening.



Biscuitware jars.



Big jugs in the sunshine - not something you see often in this country.



An assortment of tankards, freshly slipped. These are an order from a gliding club for prizes - they'll be sgrafittoed with a load of text and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc., hence the different sizes.



Baluster jugs.



A package came in the post today. It contained the final cut of the film that Alex McErlain and his team from Manchester Metropolitan Uni shot at my place during the last year.

The film's been submitted to the Seventh International Film Festival on Clay and Glass, which is scheduled to be held in Montpellier, France in 2010.

I think it's pretty normal to hate the sound of one's own voice, but that aside, it's a really great little film that captures the essence of what happens at Hollyford really well. It even features the Love Daddies, Marky Mark and Blogger Matt - quite a chick flick really. I'll try and post a short snippet of it at some stage soon.

Well, work for me in the morning so I'll sign out for now as it's late.

Have a good weekend everybody.

Tuesday

Evenin' all.

I haven't been on here for ages - life's really busy at the moment with lots going on.

Hil and the boys are back at school for the new term and I'm right back into potting again. It's been a long time since I made anything. Jess was with me today, everything is starting to settle back into routine.

I feel a lot better for a break and the opportunity to recharge. It's been good to step away from my work for a while, now I can get back to it reinvigorated and inspired - I hate to be just going through the motions - I need to feel excited about making stuff, or I wind up feeling dissatisfied with what I've made.

It's been a great break, in spite of the English climate - thanks to all who helped to make it such a good summer.

I got my car back all mended on Monday, hurrah, a big thank you Jeff for coming to the rescue once again. It's fab to have it back and running sweet as a nut, I like my little car a lot.



The last few days Different Dave has been sorting out my floor in the sheds. There's a lot of water running underneath the building as it's built on sloping ground, so considerable digging was required to run a drain, out into a soak-away. It's going to make such a difference to the way my workshop will operate when this ramshackle building project is finished. It won't be too long now.



Dave's done an amazing job, it looks like this now, all ready for concreting - hopefully at the end of this week. I can't wait to turn the disruption and chaos, into well organised and useful space.



I've been working late, frantically making pots for a show I have with Blogger Paul for Somerset Art Week(full details to follow, but click Paul's link to find out more).

I also have a show that opens next month at the Rostra and Rooksmoor Gallery in Bath, so I'm making stuff for that too. I always work best under pressure.

I'm enjoying making these big jugs at the moment, with the clay grogged right up with coarse brick clay.



I love the texture that occurs when the clay is stretched on bellied forms such as these.

So all's good and happy in my world at the moment - I had a bit of seasonally related 'funny head' time, but I'm over that now and feel good, but tired.

My only frustration is that this computer is so slow now that it's driving me crazy - it's a case of type, then wait for the text to catch up on the screen, so please excuse me for being elusive in the virtual world, I need to get it sorted.

Well I'm, exhausted so I need to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep right now, goodnight everybody and a happy Wednesday to you all.

Down in Cornwall with Angela

Our trip to Cornwall nearly didn't happen. My poor little car was more broken than I had at first thought and rather than it just needing a shock absorber replacement, it appears that the whole back suspension has collapsed. The man at the garage told me to throw it away. Booooooooooooooo - What is it with me and cars?



Anyway, I hired a little car and Ang and I travelled down on Thursday evening and stayed at my acclaimed signwriter friend Andrew's(aka Frank) house. He lives in an old china clay worker's cottage, on the top of a hill that overlooks Michael Cardew's now defunct Wenford Bridge pottery.



There's little left of the pottery now, the whole place is a bit of a sorry state, derelict and decaying, although the house still looks much the same as it ever did. I have mixed feelings about it - should it have been preserved in the same way as the Leach Pottery has been in St Ives? I think probably not, it has come to its natural end. We still have Winchcombe Pottery, Cardew's first workshop, as testament to his contribution to the British Studio Pottery movement - I think he made his best pots there too, slipware, but then I'm biased.



The bottle kiln chamber still stands.



Some time ago I was fortunate enough to have been able to purchase the remaining equipment, including Cardew's hump moulds and his kick wheel. The moulds came home to my workshop some time ago, but the wheel, which is a huge and heavy construction, made out of welded girders is currently stored in Frank's garage until my workshop is reorganised in order to fit it in - I can't wait. It's a great thrill for me to own the wheel as MC is one of my biggest influences. I'm pleased to be keeping this stuff within the tradition and one day, when I've had my time, I hope it'll go to someone else for them to do the same.



The next morning(Friday) we headed further down into Cornwall, to St Ives. I think Ang thought these folk were absolutely crazy - she wasn't too impressed with the English climate. Come to think of it, I thought they were crazy too.



We went to the Leach Pottery. I was only there a couple of weeks ago with Ron and my other blogging chums. Of course we had to take the all important fireplace shot.



We also met Richard James there, he's the pottery's technician and an occasional visitor to this blog. It was good to meet up with him - and take the obligatory fireplace shot of course.



Oh - and another one!



This is Bernard's three chamber climbing kiln.



From St Ives, we travelled to Penzance and to the workshop of Lincoln Kirby-Bell, an Australian potter, now resident here and a friend of Ang's from back home. He makes amazing, funky slipware, with colourful, trailed lines and dots. Ang bought Hil a mug, which she likes very much.

We headed home and got back in time to unpack the kilns which contained the last of the pots that Ang made while she was here. I'll get pictures up of those in a separate post.

Ang had a little gadget(she is gadget girl)on which she shot lots of video, subsequently edited and posted on her blog. There's some really good footage, stuff in the workshop, film of the village where I live and the surrounding countryside, kiln firing at Nic's and much more. Ang is posting new ones all the time, check them out right....here.

It's Bank Holiday here tomorrow and the last day for Hil before she goes back to school for the Autumn term. The boys go back later in the week, so I'll pack and fire a bisc kiln, but will spend the day doing something family related. Oh yes, I don't think I reported back, Luke did really well in his GCSE's and of course got his A in art - it's proud dad time once again.

Happy Monday all.

Rock and bloomin' roll

That went pretty well thank goodness, it's the first gig we've played in six months - the last one was dreadful due to the bad sound on stage and I for one, went away feeling very negative, so this one was really make or break for the band. It's good to play live and loud again.



Next weekend we're playing at Nic's kiln build party, which is always good fun.

Nic's running a video blog of the kiln build in progress, featuring Blogger Andrew.

To see it, click...............here.

Love Daddy Rock

We've had the best of times with Angela, who hopped on a train to Wolverhampton today to stay with family. What a lovely lady, we're missing her already. I've lots of pictures to post of the last couple of days' adventures with her which I'll do later, right now I need to go to bed. Tomorrow I've got a gig with the Love Daddies at a local festival, it'll be the first one since this tuneless video clip was filmed back in February. Rock and bloomin' roll

A trip to Blogger Paul's

Yesterday we took a trip to Somerset to visit Blogger Paul. This picture was taken outside the building which is set to become his new workshop in January. It's a great space.



His workshop is situated within the estate of Barrington Court, which has the most beautiful walled gardens. I love gardening and I think if my workshop was there, I would find these a huge distraction. Just look at the pretty flowers on this picture.



Last night we went up to the workshop to carry on working. I'm trying to get Ang's pots through the kiln so that she can take some of them home with her. Here's Ang, nose to the grindstone once again, sgrafittoing some plates. These are inspired by some pots from a book I have about Cypriot pottery. There are some really good video streams of all this stuff happening and much more on Ang's blog.



Marky Mark came up too - it was great to see him, he's been away for a month to Mexico.

Today we had a trip planned to St Ives, but the shock absorber has gone on my car so Hil and Ang have headed into Exeter to get it repaired. They'll go into town for lunch and a wander around the shops and a bit of girl time. Hil's enjoyed having some female company in this male dominated house.

I'm staying home to carry on scratching away at a sgrafitto jug commission that I've been working on for a while - these things take forever.

We've rescheduled the Cornwall trip for Friday.

Luke's GCSE results come out tomorrow morning. He worked hard for them so I think he'll have done ok. Certainly the ceramics that he did for his Art should have given him a good chance of an A grade - fingers crossed.

Hurrah!

Don't mention The Ashes....



I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it.

Ang in action

Ang and I have been in the workshop making pots these last two days. My wheel hasn't been as clean as this since it was new.

Angela made three teapots. I'm looking forward to seeing them with slip on tomorrow. Ang hasn't made slipware before, so it'll be the first time she'll see her pots at that magic moment when they're covered in glistening, wet slip.



She pressed out a dish on one of the Michael Cardew moulds that I acquired a few months ago. Take a closer look at the fruits of Ang's labours....here.



Last night we took her to watch Exeter City play football, where she learned a few new songs to sing in the shower. Poor girl, she's feeling the cold in this typical English summer.

We're off to Nic's place tomorrow afternoon where I'm going to be giving a throwing demo to the delegates at one of Nic's kiln courses. Blogger Andrew will be there, looking forward to seeing him again.

To the pub now for a game of skittles. Goodnight.

Bernard

The fireplace at the Leach Pottery must have witnessed many a philosphical discussion between Leach, Hamada and the many other great masters who stood before its sooted sconces....



As this picture demonstrates, the tradition continues today ;)


(Thanks to Ron for the picture.)

My lovely blogging chums

Thank you all for the kind birthday wishes, cards, and e-cards. I had a lovely birthday, some fantastic gifts, pots, and books that I'll write about at a later date. Blogger Ang from Australia also arrived and Hannah and her fella Paul - more about that later too.

This post is about my great blogging buddy Ron Philbeck and his lovely wife Sarah who came to stay with us last week. The batteries died on my camera and I just didn't get around to replacing them, so I've been dependant upon waiting for Ron to upload his photos


This is a picture of the moment that Ron and I first met, my face swollen as I was in mid migraine, having spent the night before in and out of the tent, throwing up, delightful. It's not easy doing this quietly on a camp site.



This is my pitch. Hil had to (wo)man my stand while I was trying to sleep off my illness in the tent. I was rescued by Wendy with a miracle cure. Check her link by the way, she has a great collection of pots. Thank you Wendy and thank you to all the folk who bought pots or stopped to chat, it was my best show yet.



Here's Ron with my great friend Paul Young...



and the ever sweet, Dylan Bowen. Hil gave me one of his beautiful platters for my birthday, lucky me.



Svend's pots



Nic building a small oil fired kiln that he demonstrated at the event. Nic runs great courses in kiln building, I think there are still a couple of spaces left for this year's course, you can check it out on his site.



Here we are with Blogger Paul, who came along to Art in Clay. Later in the week I delivered Ron and Sarah to Paul's place where they stayed before heading back to London. Paul gave us a tour of his workshop and the National Trust property where it is situated, amongst beautiful gardens. It was good to see Paul's place - I have a show with him next month as part of Somerset Arts Week, more about that later.

We also had a great day out at the Leach Pottery in St Ives, with Blogger Andrew and Hannah and Paul. I'll post more pictures later when I can pinch theirs.



So Ron headed back to the States and Ang flew in from Aus, missing each other by a day. This final pic shows Hannah and Ang and me outside my house on Sunday. Poor Ang, she spent so much on her air fare that she could no longer afford shoes.

Well I'd better go as it's time to get back to work for the first time in a couple of weeks, to show Ang my chaotic workshop and for Ang to get some red mud under her nails. More later, have a good day all.